


Worlds Apart

by Zephrit



Category: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, I'm not going to tag everyone but essentially the entire rogue gallery is here, Inspired by The Greatest Showman (2017), M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, expect nsfw later on, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 06:28:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16759765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephrit/pseuds/Zephrit
Summary: I suck at summaries, I'll think of something later. Think circuses/freak shows, the 1850s, and gay stuff.





	Worlds Apart

Bruce had always hated parties, the kind where guests he didn’t truly know treated him like they were old friends and then drank all his liquor and left. Such events were necessary and important for the Wayne family image and their corporation, but that didn’t stop him from despising every single one. They were always the same kind of crowds; distant relatives of business partners and people who only viewed him as the person indirectly who funded their lifestyles.

He was growing increasingly tired of the events, each year wore down on him more and more. They never said anything different, it was the typical pleasantries you’d hear from any stranger who didn’t actually care about how you replied as long as you seemed happy to see them. He could practically recite the answers he’d have to repeat to each one in his sleep. It was horribly mundane and tedious, he'd do literally anything else.

Perhaps all of this had been why he’d been so easily swept away by someone he neither knew nor recognized. He hadn’t even asked for the man’s name, he jumped at the first opportunity to leave.

Once the pair had escaped the commotion without being noticed by too many drunk patrons, they settled down in the library of the manor. Bruce could feel his whole body relax as the noise was drowned out while the doors were being shut behind them. As he turned the lock, he finally turned around to get a good look at the mysterious person.

The man was in his fifties, maybe even pushing his sixties, judging by the gray in his otherwise light brown hair. He had a glass in a gloved hand, one that Bruce noticed wasn’t one of his own, and it seemed rather strange to bring your own drink to a ball. The next thing he took note of was the man’s eyes. They were a soft green, not strikingly so but just enough to be intriguing. This was definitely not anyone he or his parents had done business with before, he would surely recognize him based on looks alone.

“I think you mentioned you wanted to discuss... a business deal, was it?” Bruce asked after taking a seat on the edge of the desk, watching as the man nodded and brought the drink to his lips. As lights from newly arriving guests shone through the window behind them, he realized that the man’s gloves were a very dark shade of green only visible when under heavy lighting. The suit was the only thing that allowed him to blend in, it was no different than any other, but his gloves were a dead give away. He had no invitation, and no real reason to be there at all. Any sane person would be disconcerted with all of this, having a stranger approach him with some unknown deal, but Bruce found himself intrigued. He had to know what he could be offered.

The man nodded and found himself his own seat, choosing one of the chairs by Bruce, “Yes, you heard me correctly. I apologize for coming unannounced, I couldn’t tell how to contact you otherwise. And, between you and me, this way adds to the fun, hm?” As he finished the sentence, he smiled up at him and Bruce could tell that he had been incredibly attractive in his youth, but age and life had worn him down, “Where should I start? Hmmm… My name is Edward Nygma and I own an establishment downtown. One that I’m very fond of and would love to keep running, but I simply do not have the funds anymore. Knowing you’re one to take pity on others, I was hoping you’d come to our aid, Mr. Wayne,”

Bruce nodded a little and straightened up, finally recognizing the illusive man. He had heard of Mr. Nygma’s business before, it had stirred up quite a bit of controversy since its creation. He had never stepped foot there personally, he never thought to. But it had always piqued his curiosity, a place so mysterious and unspoken of. He folded his arms across his chest and thought for a bit longer before he answered, “I’m not even sure what type of business you run, Mr. Nygma. How can I decide to fund a place if I’ve never been there?”

Edward smiled again, finishing off his drink and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe off the glass before setting it on the desk beside them, “I work in the field of curiosities and wonder. If there’s anything you’ve ever wanted to see, Mr. Wayne, I’ve got it, I assure you. But why let me ruin the surprise? Come with me after your little get together is over, visit my kingdom for yourself,”

Bruce only felt his confusion and curiosity deepen. Why was this man being so cryptic? He didn’t seem to have anything to hide, and most people would thoroughly explain themselves before asking for money. Despite all of these thoughts, he found himself agreeing.

Edward’s smile turned into a pleased grin. He jumped from his seat and grabbed the glass from it’s spot, “It’s settled then. Find me after you’ve had your fill. I’ll be by the front doors, we’ll leave together,”

Bruce didn’t get a chance to agree before the odd man had left the room, leaving him to tend to the sea of guests waiting down the hall. What had he gotten himself into?

\---

The ride to the building was a long one. It was late and everyone was headed home after the gathering, not to mention it was a weekend and the regular citizens of Gotham were out enjoying themselves as well.

Mr. Nygma had refused to elaborate on anything, even as they were approaching the doors of the place. He only promised that Bruce would see soon enough, then asked to be called Edward instead.

Bruce would quickly realize that whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t what he would get. He would discover so much more.

The doors opened to reveal a busy lobby, the room bustling with visitors as they hurried along to their destination of the main curtains. The atmosphere was distinct, so much so that Bruce had no words to describe it. The room’s colors were just as lively as the action it held. He had never seen so much color before in his life. Reds, greens, blues were sewn across the walls, in both posters and outfits of those around him. He’d never taken the time to truly get to know any of the regular people of Gotham, but their presence was a very different feel now than in the streets. They all seemed excited and their chatter confirmed it.

Edward stepped inside and began to walk down the middle of the room, letting Bruce speed up to catch up with him. The room was quickly empty as people disappeared the curtains, and that’s when the man started to speak. They had seemed to pay the two of them no mind and barely glanced their way,

“I built this place when I was younger, trying to find my place in the world. I’ve always had an interest in the strange and peculiar. I’m fond of everything that makes you question what you know about life and the ones around you. Things you’ve wondered but never dared ask. That is my business, Mr. Wayne, I raise questions and answer none,”

Bruce stayed silent despite the atmosphere practically begging him to ask questions. He simply followed, taking in the speech, before looking at Edward as he paused at the curtains. The man appeared as if he was trying to decide what direction to take him first, then apparently decided and turned to face him.

“Mr. Wayne, I’d like you to choose where we go. Nowhere is off limits, and behind this curtain is typically for normal visitors, but you, my friend, are no normal visitor. There’s a lot more to see than what I allow,” the last part was said with the same smile Bruce had received when he agreed to come. It was the smile of someone who had genuine pride in his work, and was eager to show it off, “I think you’ll find at least one thing worth saving,”

If anything the man had said was confusing, it was the last thing, but everything he said was odd anyway so Bruce didn’t question it. The posters around them had pictures and words describing acts and oddities that awaited him, this was his first clue of what was to come.

The pair started to walk down the path to the right of them. This choice drew a pleased hum from Edward, but he offered no clues of what was awaiting them, of course. They soon found a door, and as they opened it, Bruce finally got to see what the secret was.

Once more, he had no words to describe any of it.

The new area was full of things Bruce hadn’t even dreamed to see. The lobby’s liveliness was no match to that of the scene before them. The area was essentially a backstage of sorts, as far as he could tell, a place for the performers to stay before it was their turn to go on. Creatures and people of all shapes and sizes were everywhere, avoiding each other as they rushed to their places and got ready. He couldn’t process any of the chaos, how anyone got anything done in that environment was lost on him.

The closest group to them were animals held together in a large pin, ones Bruce had only heard of. Three people stood as they fed and groomed the things, and he took note that they all seemed… normal in comparison to the ones hurrying by. Nothing odd there, so perhaps they were simply the handlers? The man and woman team fed and brushed a pair of large, jet black wildcats, while the third was trying to squeeze one of many penguins into a tutu. The scene was almost comical, but they all gave off an air of pride. The kind that Edward exuded.

Edward followed as he took a step towards them and waved to the crew members. One of them, a young man who couldn’t be much older than Bruce was, noticed them and happily waved back, “Ed’s back!” he called in a voice that was slightly muffled by the background noise, turning to look at the others, and the two looked up from their animals.

Bruce sucked in a breath at the sight of the couple. Despite how normal they appeared at a glance, now closer and fully facing him, they each had... distinct features. The first Bruce noticed was the woman. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but her bangs almost covered her... unique eyes. They were green and catlike, the pupils thin and elongated compared to a normal person’s. Other than this one thing, she was perfectly fine and seemed healthy enough, maybe even beautiful. Her expression wasn’t as attractive, however, her eyes narrowed at the sight of him and it made him a bit uncomfortable.

The other, her partner, was much larger than her, but seemed far less intimidating. He offered a kind smile, and waved as well. He was a large man who had obviously done his share of heavy lifting, but he didn’t seem like he could hurt anyone. The most jarring feature of his was his face, particularly the left side. It was almost entirely covered by a bright pink birth mark accompanied by a white streak of hair above it. Bruce couldn't help but admire that too. 

“Mr. Wayne, this is Oswald, Selina, and Harvey. They’re the ones who care for our animals, as you’ve probably concluded,” Edward explained, his hand gesturing to each as he introduced them, and Bruce finally noticed that his outfit was different. The old tux he’d been wearing was now a green suit with a matching top hat, and in his other hand was a cane. The cane was unlike anything Bruce had seen before, with a small silver question mark at it’s base. With everything going on, he’d hardly noticed the change. He began to wonder what else he was missing amidst everything exactly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wayne,” said the one named Harvey, taking a step forward and offering his hand. Bruce shook it and returned the smile and pleasantries, which seemed to make the man happier than anyone had ever been to hear it. He figured this was because he was a genuinely happy person, but something also told him that this group didn't get a lot of good first impressions.

“Mr. Wayne is visiting us to get a feel for what he could be funding. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got more to see,” Edward continued before placing his hand on Bruce’s shoulder and leading him further into the chaos.

A path was formed as they moved, everyone finally acknowledging their arrival and Bruce was quickly met with greetings from all over. Large men, scaled ones and typical muscular ones, women contorted into impossible poses putting their makeup on, a winged beast that he lacked the words to describe, but was apparently named Kirk as if it were a man.

Despite seeing all of this, Bruce found that he didn’t feel even remotely frightened. The beings he was seeing were… beautiful. They were so unusual and mystical that he couldn’t help but fall love with them.

Edward led him up a flight of stairs and Bruce had no choice but to obey and come along. He found himself smiling and waving down at the group below them. The atmosphere was still as chaotic as before and yet… it felt very much like a home. He couldn’t deny the charm he felt when he watched how well they all worked together, and how peacefully too. The sounds of their chatter and banter were almost musical, he couldn’t remember the last time he saw something so serene.

Bruce was shaken from his thoughts as Edward pulled open a curtain that matched the ones in the front and gently shoved him into the next area at the top of the stairs. He took a step forward and gawked at the view of the ring and the hundreds of people seated around it. The sound was almost deafening as they cleared and clapped at those in the middle. They were now in what Bruce assumed was the main area, standing on a balcony well above what would be a typical visitor’s view. Below them was a scene more akin to the posters he’d observed earlier in the lobby and he found himself smiling again as he watched the group perform.

His attention was almost immediately diverted as a sudden movement sailed across the view in front of him and then, as if time was slowed down and the roar of the crowds had ceased, he saw _him_.

As the being in front of him rose and their eyes met, Bruce felt his breath catch. If the people he’d met only moments before were beautiful, then the thing in front of him had to be an angel created by God himself. The green eyed man was thin, but not so much so that he couldn’t hold his own weight, and his outfit showed enough of his arms to confirm that. His hair was a deep shade of green that was so different from anything Bruce had seen before, but so unique and fitting to the breathtaking air he gave off. His features were sharp and alluring, despite his face being coated with a heavy amount of makeup. Dark rings circled his eyes, his nose was a deep red, and his lips and cheeks were painted into a smile to match. The man’s gloved hand was extended, almost as if trying to grab the other, and Bruce found himself try to reach back. Before they could touch, however, time snapped back into place and the angel fell back down the same path he’d came and returned to the formulaic scene beneath them.

Bruce now felt as if his part in this strange, gorgeous world was sealed.

He kept his eyes on the man as he joined a woman in a similar outfit to his and they bowed together, then turned around to look at Edward, “Who is that?” he asked, fighting the urge to rush downstairs and find out for himself.

Edward only smiled and patted his shoulder, “You’ll get to meet our clowns later, but first we have business to discuss. That is, if you’re interested?” The tone in his voice was less of a question and more of a statement, and gave away the fact that he already knew the answer.

Despite the thought of his image and reputation taking a hit crossing his mind briefly, Bruce had never been so eager to shake anyone’s hand in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Does this premise make a lot of sense? No.  
> Will I die on this hill? Yes.
> 
> My heart is absolutely in this project and it's my baby tbh. No clue how long this will be, but it'll most likely be updated frequently.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
